Someone parked in our "lot" - WWYD?

[mrs.jacinthe]

Our new place has a parking lot instead of a driveway b/c it was the sales office for the neighborhood, right?  Apparently when it was commercial, a lot of people (including my hairdresser, who confessed yesterday after I told her where we'd moved - LOL) developed the habit of parking in the lot in order to use the neighborhood sidewalks and trail.  I just took the dingus out and there was a pickup truck parked in our lot.  I don't know the person to whom the truck belongs.  It's a little scary to see someone you don't know parked in your driveway, and probably a liability for us (since they're parking on private property, walking on our pavement, etc.)  I want to leave a note or something, but obviously these people will know EXACTLY who left the note and where we live.  LOL  Sooo, do I do nothing and get a sign printed up ASAP?  Make a contract with a towing company to have offending vehicles impounded?  Leave a nice note?  Try to catch the person when they come back?

WWYD?

[Deleted]

Get a sign if it doesn't work then get a contract with a towing company.

[treedimensional]

Yeah, I'd just post "Private Property - No Parking" signs, and buy a gate if you can afford to. I wouldn't tow anyone just yet because they probably don't know that's your driveway.

[tarheels]

At first, a handwritten note under the offending windshield wipers that says, "Hi, this property has been sold. We, the new owners, request that you no longer park in this lot. Thanks."

Followed ASAP with a "Private Property - No Trespassing" sign.

[hbomdiggity]

Ditto the private property signs.

I think you posted a picture but I can't recall the set up. I'd also be inclined to break up any asphalt to make it less of a parking lot.

[emoflamingo]

I think, for the time being, I'd just leave a note that says "hey, this is now a residence, so please don't park here anymore." I mean, your hairdresser is one thing, but every Tom, Dick & Harry? No thanks.

I think you guys are breaking up the parking lot right? If not, I'd make a sign for the long term that says "private property - no tresspassing" and hopefully you won't have issues.

[mrs.jacinthe]

We are breaking up the parking lot - but that's probably a project for the summer ... so this fix will be an "until then" issue.

[emoflamingo]

I'd just leave notes. I'm sure a sign that is weather proof won't be cheap.

[SusanBAnthony]

I think I might put cones along the spent dance to your lot. And maybe write on them "private property" with a sharpi.

The tackiness of that would not bother me in the least, if it was just for a few months.

[TBM]

Will your HOA allow 'private property' or 'no parking' signs? Or maybe a 'reserved for the people who live here' sign.


I would leave a note or if I saw the person I would say something.

[new2this2]

This is random but I've totally seen signs what are weather proof with letter stickers so you can write whatever you want on them. Oddly, I think I saw them at Party America or something. You could find something that like for the short term because it would be cheap.

[sailorgray]

I'd skip the note and just get Private Property signs that say violators will be towed. I'd put one up in each "spot". If they keep doing it, then I'd do the note. I also like the idea of the orange cones in each spot. Just one right in the middle.

[pitterwoo]

I would do nothing until tearing out the lot unless people were actually parking in spots I needed for my cars. Not that I think the above responses are overreacting, just that I know I wouldn't do anything unless I was feeling put out. In our neighborhood things are pretty cramped so I'm used to strangers parking/walking/waiting for the bus right up by my house.

[TBM]

Mar 6, 2013 22:45:41 GMT -5 pitterwoo said:

I would do nothing until tearing out the lot unless people were actually parking in spots I needed for my cars. Not that I think the above responses are overreacting, just that I know I wouldn't do anything unless I was feeling put out. In our neighborhood things are pretty cramped so I'm used to strangers parking/walking/waiting for the bus right up by my house.

I am pretty sure than none of Mrs J's neighbors have to deal with people parking in their driveways, so why should she?
 
I think that people are used to using the spaces because it was the only public space with parking spaces and was more convenient than parking in the street.  If she lets people park there without letting them know that it is a private residence, they will continue to park there.

[emoflamingo]

Mar 6, 2013 22:56:33 GMT -5 @crackhabit said:

Mar 6, 2013 20:29:18 GMT -5 tarheels said:

At first, a handwritten note under the offending windshield wipers that says, "Hi, this property has been sold. We, the new owners, request that you no longer park in this lot. Thanks."

Followed ASAP with a "Private Property - No Trespassing" sign.

This is perfect.

My solution was going to be to spray paint DIBS in neon on the space, but Tarheels has you covered.

I change my vote to spray painting dibs. (for real, what tar heels said should work.)

[pitterwoo]

Mar 6, 2013 23:18:54 GMT -5 TBM said:

Mar 6, 2013 22:45:41 GMT -5 pitterwoo said:

I would do nothing until tearing out the lot unless people were actually parking in spots I needed for my cars. Not that I think the above responses are overreacting, just that I know I wouldn't do anything unless I was feeling put out. In our neighborhood things are pretty cramped so I'm used to strangers parking/walking/waiting for the bus right up by my house.

I am pretty sure than none of Mrs J's neighbors have to deal with people parking in their driveways, so why should she?
 
I think that people are used to using the spaces because it was the only public space with parking spaces and was more convenient than parking in the street.  If she lets people park there without letting them know that it is a private residence, they will continue to park there.

It was a WWYD.  I was just answering what I would do.  I already said that I don't disagree with all the suggestions...sooo yeah.

[auntie]

Is the lot obviously associated with you house? Like right out in front of it?

My old house was on what was basically as alley- my house was only about set back 5' from the street, so obviously no driveway. I owned the 20 x 60' lot across the sreet from my boathouse/garage. A lot of my neighbors owned random plots of land for parking as the street was originally summer houses. Neighbors would ask their visitors not to use other family's lots for parking. If it was someone not visiting a neighbor, and we were near a park and ballfield, we'd generally leave a note. I didn't have the problem as often as my neighbor whose lot was nearer the field. He put up a sign and chain across his lot.

You can buy a cheap custom sign at Fast Signs. www.fastsigns.com/

[emoflamingo]

If I remember right from the pictures she's posted, the lot is like right next to the house, basically up to the house itself. So it's obvious that it's belonging to the house.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Whoa! I didn't expect so much debate!

To clear up a few questions - the lot is clearly directly associated with the house. It's technically an 8-space parking lot, but it goes to within 3 feet of our house and is, essentially, our entire front yard. It's considered our driveway.

I actually don't have a problem with people using the lot - provided I *know* them and/or they've asked. For example, if our next door neighbor had a party and asked in advance if his guests could park there - not a problem. I don't even have a problem with people using our lot for turning around, since we're right at the entrance of the neighborhood. My problem is that I don't know these people from Adam and it bothers me that people are just pulling into our driveway, parking there, and walking away from their vehicle. There is AMPLE street and off-street parking for the apartment complex across the street. Everyone in the neighborhood has a 2-car driveway and plenty of street parking in front of their own home. So these people are from elsewhere who are just using my driveway as their personal parking. Which (possibly unreasonably) is pissing me off. It's not like they'd just randomly pull into my neighbor's driveway and park there ...

Obviously, they've had 14 years of doing this when the building was commercial, so it's going to take a while to get everyone trained to park somewhere else. I like the suggestion of handwritten note. Can someone suggest wording that isn't too passive-aggressive but gets the point across?

[TBM]

I thought Tarheels suggestion for wording was good.

[sierramist03]

I understand your concern I would think you are responsible since its private property. I'd just get a sign that says private property you might want to include for now a not responsible for accidents until people get the drift its your driveway.

[TBM]

You could paint a message on your parking lot...it would be decorative too.

[mrs.jacinthe]

LOL!

I was thinking of something along these lines:

[Susie]

Mar 6, 2013 21:56:23 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

I would leave a polite note as PP suggested informing not only that it had been sold, but that it was now a private residence.  I'd also get a cheapy "No trespassing" or "Private property" sign from like Home Depot or something.  Nothing fancy.  Just something to tide you over till you're able to tear up the parking lot.  

Yeah.  I'd post a Home Depot No Trespassing sign, and print a stack of sheets to stick under windshield wipers.  Hopefully people will stop once they know, and you won't have to get more aggressive.

Dear Driver,
This property has been sold, and is now a private residence.  These spaces are private property and are not available for public parking.  Thank you for not parking here in the future.

Residents at Address

[Deleted]

Mar 6, 2013 19:36:14 GMT -5 rehabaddict said:

Get a sign if it doesn't work then get a contract with a towing company.

This.  I would try the sign first as the nice way of dealing with it.  If you start seeing repeat parkers come back then I'd be really annoyed and call the towing company stat before I am tempted to start doing damage to the car.  :-) 

[TBM]

Mar 7, 2013 13:29:24 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

LOL!

I was thinking of something along these lines:

Love it!


Have you checked with your HOA to see if you are allowed to post signs?

[mrs.jacinthe]

TBM - we are! Our HOA is really casual. They care about things like building an addition. And maintaining the roads in the neighborhood. They're not particular about most other stuff. Thank goodness.

[Deleted]

Make a sign ASAP. Or start selling monthly parking passes

[TBM]

Here's an idea. 

You could take care of the people parking and pay off those credit card purchases at the same time.

[jhawks482]

Mar 7, 2013 20:32:56 GMT -5 TBM said:

Here's an idea. 

You could take care of the people parking and pay off those credit card purchases at the same time.

OMG yes!!! This. This is the solution!!